Trimming for automobiles, furniture, and the like



Oct. 8, 1929. H. w. BUHLER 1,739,558

TRIMMING FOR AUTOMOBILES, FURNITURE, AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 13, 1927 bur/slew!" 2 9 w mun smu wit-1a SW 5 5mm snpn J U E L J u u Patented a. a, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY w. IBUHLER, on Gnouonsrnn, MASSACHUSETTS TIMING FOR AUTOMOBILES, FURNITURE, AND THE LIKE application filed. January 3, 1927. Serial No. 160,927.

0 character in that it is produced in considerable lengths. It should be borne in mind that such trimmings comprise a body or core generally covered with leather or imitation leather and which are fastened or fitted to the automobile or piece of furniture wherever a trimming or finish of this nature is required. My invention relates particularly to the core or filler for such trimmings, which is generally marketed in desired lengths, shapes, and sizes and later covered with leather, imitation leather, or other suitable casing as re quired. Heretofore, it has been ditficult to produce a sufiiciently flexible filler free from twists or distortions except by employing expensive materials. Such materials asleather, rubber, textiles and imitations and compositions of the samehave been used, but in no case has entire satisfaction resulted. Such materials as rubber were relatively satisfactory but expensive, and the cheaper compositions, such as paper, were full of twists and imperfections and weaknesses. It is a common expedient in this art to twist paper to produce a filler, which may or may not be treated, but the twisted fibres cause the product to curl and roll, and even when enclosed in a tight covering, this tendency persists.

It will be understood that, in addition to avoiding this twisting, a considerable degree of elasticity as well as extreme flexibility is desirable in such a product. In order that the trimming may be adapted to the many curves and corners, for instance of an automobile, it is also desirable that the body or base material beinexpensive, that the treatment of the same with a binder be accomplished with facility and promptness, and that the resulting product be durable.

In my present invention, I avoid this curling tendency of the fibres of the filler, and

secure the other desired advantages. One of the major concepts of my invention in providing for maximum flexibility in my finishing strip is directed to the disposition of the longitudinal fibres which give to the strip its 55 tensile strength. The disposition contemplated is one of transverse fibre undulation in horizontal planes. -I am in this way able to make the strip practically homogeneous and uniform and yet to provide in it for a flexibility of both vertical and horizontal without any tendency of the folding or kinking which have been characteristic difiiculties with all such strips. The undulatory disposition of the fibres is best produced by the g5 transverse waving or fluting of a strip of water-laid stock, as for example, a paper stock run on a wet machine. In fact, ordinary crepe paper aifords just such a stock and is used by me as an inexpensive and readily 7 available material from which I make my strips. I p

To produce a practical embodiment of my invention, I employ crepe paper of the usual kind purchased in the open market which I so form and treat that it assumes all the characteristics of the ideal automobile or furniture trimming. y

In crepe paper, the fibre disposition, generally speaking, is of. the sheet and these so fibres, therefore, have capacity for crinkling across the fibre to produce the characteristic wavy or crepe effect of this kind of paper.- Because of this creping of the fibres, the paper itself is of a peculiarly elastic nature, and the crimps are in parallel formation. By folding the creped paper across the crimps, I secure a series of laminations parallel with the fibre trend which possess all the elasticity secured by the pressure of the crimps. By rubberizing or otherwise flexibly and adhesively coating the folded crepe paper, I rovide a connecting film between the lines o the folds as well as between the waves of the crepe paper which is sufliciently flexible to take up any disruptive strains and stresses to which the sheet is subjected beyond its own limit of elasticity.

I have shown in the drawings and will describe in the following specification an il- 5 shows the same after it has been loaded with rubber cement and just prior to the final forming step.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the finished product showing the relation of the folds of the paper to thefiller, and

Fig. 7 is a diagram setting forth the various steps in my method.

I provide sections 1 of crepe paper of suitable width lengthwise of the crepe. Depending on the size of the trimming desired, 1 emplo one or more thicknesses of crepe paper. f more than one sheet is used, if desired, I treat the inner sheet or sheets, or the inner faces of the sheets, if but two are used, with a suitable glue, rubber-cement or other cementitious binder 2 so as to cause the sheets to adhere closely to each other. (Step 9, Fig. 7.) This is not always necessary, however, as certain grades of paper may be folded satisfactorily without any adhesive in gluing of the sheets to each other. The separate steps of my preferred method will be defined more clearly hereafter, and for the present, I will discuss the condition of the product as it passes through each step.

After the sheets of crepe paper have adhered to each other either under normal conditions or by reason of the passage of the same through suitable rolls (step 10, see Fig. 7), these sheets are folded across the creped paper but parallel with the paper fibre a suitable number of times as indicated at 3 (Fig. 3) but generally in the form and dimensions of the ultimate desired shape. As appears from the drawings, these folds or laminations 3 are relatively loose.

At this point, I cause the folded paper lengths 3 to pass through a preliminary forming operation or step 11 (Fig. 7) which produces a further conformation of the strip substantially of the outline of the desired ultimate product as indicated at 4 (Fig. 4), the folds remaining parallel to the trend of the paper fibre.

I next cause the spaces between the folds of paper to be filled with any suitable flexible adhesive preferably rubber-cement 5 (Fig. 7). The strips are then treated with the rubber-cement which saturates and coats the .breaking or buckling fibres as shown at etc 12 (Fig. 7). This cement is in part absor ed by the aper tissues and enters into the waves of t e cre e and between the folds so as to unite the olds to each other. The cement treated strip 5 is permitted to remain in this condition until it reaches a substantially tacky state at which point I cause it tov be subjected to a further forming and compressing operation so that it will adopt its final conformation 6 (Fig. 6). This condition may be secured by passing the treated paper 5 through a former 13 (Fig. 7), or by any other suitable means. It is obvious that the folds in certain shapes and sizes will not at all times lie parallel to each other, but these folds are always crosswise of the crepe and parallel to'the fibre trend of the paper. By so folding the paper, the twisting or curling heretofore occurring in paper fillings is avoided and the trimming may be fastened flat and evenlyon the place requiring the same. An'llustrative embodiment of the finished product 7 is shown greatly enlarged in-Fig. 6. By reason of the combination of the rubber-cement 5 with the flexible crepe and the folds 5, the finished product is capable of being twisted, bent or doubled without any of the fibres of the paper or disruption o the cement binder. It will be understood that a great variety of shapes and sizes of filler may be produced without any departure from the principles of my invention, the form disclosed in the drawing being but an illustrative embodiment.

In practicing my invention, I first select strips of crepe paper of suitable dimensions with certain grades of paper, if more than one thickness is used, and treat the inner sheets or inner surface with an adhesive, preferably rubber-cement (step 9, Fig. 7). Generally, however, this is not necessary as a plurality of sheets may be suitably folded without cementing the sheets to each other. If cement is used, I pass these sheets of paper through a pair of rolls (step 10, Fig. 7). After the sheets come from the rolls, they are passed through a folder (step 11, Fig. 7) from which they emerge in a loosely folded condition 3, the folds being lengthwise of the creped paper treated, but parallel with the fibre trend. The folded strips 3 are next passed through an intermediate forming machine (step 12, Fig. 7) which turns it out in the general form desired as illustrated at Fig. 6. The folded strips are next treated with a rubber-cement binder 5 (step 13, Fig. 7) which fills in a folds of the paper and the waves of the crepy. stock. As stated above, I find it of advantage to leave the strip in the condition until the cement has become tacky, at which time the strip is passed through a final former (step 14, Fig. 7) which forces the paperfolds and binder together and turns out a strip of the desired size and shape.

It will be understood that I do not limit myself to a strip of any particular degree of flexibility in the strip, this varying, of course, with the amount of rubber-cement or other filler used and the care taken in the proper impregnation of the fibres and folds with the same.

It will also be understood that any number of sheets of crepe paper or other flexible fibrous material may be used, and that the same may be folded any number of times necessary to produce a strip of the size required. No limitation is placed on the kind of adhesive or filler used to bind the paper and to fill its folds; and the number of possible shapes and sizes of the finished product is unlimited.

Various modifications in the details of construction of my invention, and any variation of the method may obviously be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention if within the limits of the appended claims.

\Vhat I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A compact contoured strip, comprising a length of fibrous laminae of longitudinal fibre trend, each lamina having crepings transversely of the fibre trend and an interlaminal impregnation of flexible binder.

2. A compact contoured strip of the class described comprising a body of crepe paper having horizontal transversely creped laminations and an impregnation of flexible binder. v

3. A compact contoured stri of the class described comprising a body of crepe paper folded transversely of its creping and a flexible cementitious binder embodied therein.

4. A compact contoured strip of the class described comprising a body of general longitudinal fibre trend, said fibres being assembled in transversely disposed undulation and an impregnation of flexible binder.

5. A compact contoured strip of the class fibrous stockand having its fibre trend longitudinally of the strip and disposed in horizontal planes of transverse undulations.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a trans- .versely and laterally flexible and penetrable trimming strip everywhere of substantially uniform cross-section comprising a thick,

compact elongate mass formed from laminae HENRY W. BUHLER.

described comprising a body of thin fibrous material of general longitudinal fibre trend, said material having crepings at right angles to said fibre trend and folds at right an 'les to said creping and an impregnation of exible binder in said creping and folds.

6. A compact contoured strip of the class described comprising a. body of thin fibrous material of general longitudinal fibre trend, crepings in said body at right angles to said fibre trend and folds parallel to said fibre trend and an interlaminal impregnation of flexible binder.

7. A compact contoured strip of the class described comprising a body: of horizontal fibrous laminae creped transversely of the stri 8. A contouredflexible finishing strip of 

